Skinner box

Skinner box
Skin·ner box 'skin-ər-.bäks n a laboratory apparatus in which an animal is caged for experiments in operant conditioning and which typically contains a lever that must be pressed by the animal to gain reward or avoid punishment
Skinner Burrhus Frederic (1904-1990)
American psychologist. Skinner made a major contribution to 20th-century psychology. He is famous as a major proponent of behaviorism, a philosophy that studies human behavior in terms of physiological responses to the environment and believes that human nature can be revealed through the controlled scientific study of these responses. Skinner conducted innovative experiments in animal learning, training laboratory animals to perform a number of complex actions. To carry out some of his experiments he designed the Skinner box, an apparatus later adopted by pharmaceutical research for observing the effects of drugs on animal behavior. His work with research animals led to his development of the principles of programmed learning. His revolutionary innovations in educational method included the invention of teaching machines. Central to his methods was the concept of reinforcement, or reward.

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an experimental enclosure for testing animal conditioning, in which the subject animal performs (e.g., presses a bar or lever) to obtain a reward.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Skinner box — 1940 (earlier Skinner apparatus, 1938), from U.S. psychologist B.F. Skinner (1904 1990) …   Etymology dictionary

  • Skinner-Box — Skinner Box, von dem amerikanischen Psychologen Burrhus Frederic Skinner entwickelte und nach ihm benannte Versuchsapparatur zur ⇒ operanten Konditionierung; wurde ursprünglich für Ratten, später auch für andere Tiere benutzt. In der S. befindet… …   Deutsch wörterbuch der biologie

  • Skinner-Box — Eine Skinner Box (gelegentlich auch: problem box, puzzle box) ist ein äußerst reizarmer Käfig für ein Testtier, in dem es standardisiert und weitgehend automatisiert ein neuartiges Verhalten erlernen kann. Die Bezeichnung geht zurück auf Burrhus… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Skinner-Box — Skịn|ner|box auch: Skịn|ner Box 〈f. 20〉 Versuchsanordnung zur Erforschung von Lernvorgängen bei Tieren [nach dem amerikan. Verhaltensforscher B. F. Skinner, 1904 1990, + engl. box „Schachtel“] * * * Skịn|ner|box, Skịn|ner Box, die [nach dem… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Skinner box — Skin′ner box n. anb a box used in experiments in animal learning, esp. in operant conditioning, typically equipped with a device that gives the animal a reward, as food, or a painful stimulus, as a mild shock, for a particular performance •… …   From formal English to slang

  • Skinner box — Psychol. a box used in experiments in animal learning, esp. in operant conditioning, equipped with a mechanism that automatically gives the animal food or other reward or permits escape, as by opening a door. [1940 45; named after B. F. SKINNER]… …   Universalium

  • Skinner box — /ˈskɪnə bɒks/ (say skinuh boks) noun a box or cage, used in animal conditioning experiments, in which the animal must learn to operate a mechanism correctly in order to gain a reward or escape a punishment. {from BF Skinner who invented it} …  

  • Skinner box — noun Etymology: B. F. Skinner Date: 1940 a laboratory apparatus in which an animal is caged for experiments in operant conditioning and which typically contains a lever that must be pressed by the animal to gain reward or avoid punishment …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • skinner box — noun Usage: usually capitalized S Etymology: after Burrhus F. Skinner b1904 American psychologist : a laboratory apparatus in which an animal is caged for experiments in operant conditioning typically containing a lever that must be pressed by… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Skinner box — noun A box or cage in which a subject (usually an animal), may be isolated from outside influences; used in operant conditioning experiments where the subject can operate a lever to obtain a reward or …   Wiktionary

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